Lieutenant 96443 Royal Canadian Regiment (Fusiliers) R.C.R.
Service Personnel Information
Name: Roger Ouellette
Service Regimental Number: 96443
Rank: Lieutenant
Height/weight: 5-7, 140 Lbs.
Color of eyes: Blue
Marital status: Never married
Religion: Roman Catholic
Address: 47 Heney Str. Apt. 4, Ottawa Ontario
Next of Kin (and relationship): Gloria Ouellette (Mother)
City and province of enlistment: Ottawa Ontario
Military Service Record
Age (at death): 28
Force: Army
Unit: Royal Canadian Regiment "Fusiliers"
Service Number: 96443
Honors and Awards: 6 medals of honor in total
Photograph:
Next of Kin (and relationship): Gloria Ouellette (Mother)
Date of Death: April 18, 1945
Country of Burial: Netherlands
Cemetery: Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
Grave Reference: IV. E. 11.
Location: 10 km south of Nijmegen, close to German Frontier
Book of Remembrance: Pg. 55, second world war remembrance book
Regiment:
Medals and Stars earned:
1939-45 Star:
Italy Star:
France-Germany Star:
Defence Medal:
War medal:
Canadian Volunteer service medal:
Essay
Every couple of months the government will send out residential bills for things like water and electricity usage. People can get busy enough that they fall behind and feel they are in debt. But the truth is, even when we have paid our bills, and caught up with work, and there is nothing else that we have left to do. We are still grossly indebted to the people that gave us our country and the opportunity to print those bills. War veterans are the only people that truly understand the debt that the rest of us truly are in. People contributed and people died trying to give the next generation a fair chance at raising a family and living in their motherland. People just like us who went to school, and even lived near to you once upon a time. They had to answer the hardest question anyone could ask, are you going to enlist? Roger Ernest Ouellette answered that question with a yes, and he enlisted on May 3, 1941. Ready to serve beside his countrymen in the line of fire.
Roger was assigned to the Royal Canadian Fusiliers; they were an infantry regiment created in December of 1883. Since then, the force has seen action in every conflict including Canadian personnel. (Royal Canadian) This is the backbone of our forces, and only the best are deployed in a regiment such as this. When everything else fails, they were the regiment that would succeed. They remained faithful in every situation. Every soldier in the regiment was required to memorize a short prayer of faith and courage, asking for a blessing and hand of protection from god.
Almighty God; we humbly implore thy blessing on The Royal Canadian Regiment and all of us who serve therein. Help us to prove worthy to accept the high ideals and traditions of the past; to honor and revere the memory of those who have gone before us; to face our responsibilities in the future, in both peace and war, with courage, justice, love, honesty, and faithfulness. Remove all greed, hatred, selfishness, and envy from our thoughts that we may render true service to the Regiment and for Thee our God; for our fellow man; and for our country.” (RCR May 4)
Roger climbed the ranks during his years of service becoming a lieutenant. Honored position, and well respected. Although he didn’t govern the troops, he led them into battle. He made the decisions on his feet when they were talking fire, decisions that lose and save lives. Those very decisions earned him 6 medals in total, including the 1939-1945 star, Italy star, France & Germany star, Defence medal, War medal, and a Canadian volunteer service medal. He was distinguished and highly honored, and for every reason. Roger would have been trained to use a 9mm Pistol, 9mm Sten SMG, FN C-2 and FN C-1 rifles, 3.5 Inch Rocket Launcher, 36 Grenades, and the Bayonet. Far from unarmed Roger was well prepared to go in with a fight. (Hickson)
Royal Canadian Regiment invaded the city of Apeldoorn on April 16, 1945. They were invading because it was one of the first Allied objectives in the advance to the Northern Sea. They were working for the liberation of the Netherlands and German forces occupied the city of Apeldoorn. The Eastern edge of the city was captured by 4:30 a.m. on the 17th, and by the end of the day the battle for the city was won by Hastings, Prince Edward, West Nova Scotia, and the royal Canadian regiments. From the 11th to the 17th the Canadian division suffered 506 casualties (Apeldoorn) , may they rest in peace. One of those brave men that died in the fight for Apeldoorn was Roger. His hospital reports and doctor reviews stated that he suffered injuries on the 16th, was admitted to the hospital and stayed the night. But by the 17th the wounds that Roger sustained proved to be too much, they took his life.
His mother was notified along with the 506 other next of kin that the military had to notify, with that knock, the door opening and seeing a man you’ve never met before in a military uniform telling you your son honorably. Somewhere face down in the mud and rubble just doesn’t seem honorable to a loving mother. When his mother was notified that her son had been killed in the line of duty. That day the headlines of the newspaper in Winnipeg were that a former University of Manitoba student met his doom due to German Nazi’s as he was arrested and executed (The Manitoban). It was a dark time to be living in Manitoba. People dying and seems like there is no good news to be heard. War is never pretty and always accompanied by death.
Roger served from May 3, 1941, to April 18, 1945 a dedicated 4 years of active service. Only months away from the end of the war, this casualty would have been hard to swallow, not to say that some casualties were easier to understand. When a life is taken, not given it is a painful los for those who were close to that person. Roger Ouellette has been laid to rest in the Netherlands; in a Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery. His tomb reference is IV. E. 11. May he rest in peace, lest we forget his sacrifice.
Grave Reference
Name of Cemetery: Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
Grave Reference: IV. E. 11.
http://www.cwgc.org/plans/11-86/M001.GIF
Works Cited
“Apeldoorn.” Veteran Affairs Canada. N.p., 3 May 2012. Web. 9 May 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/feature/netherlands/history/apeldoorn>.
Hickson, Jim. Royal Canadian Regiment. RCR, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/history/20questions_young_soldier/1961_hickson.html>.
“The Manitoban.” Manitbia. N.p., 18 May 1945. Web. 3 May 2012. <http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/Manitoban/1945/05/1945-05-18.pdf#search=%22April%2018,%201945%22>.
The Royal Canadian Regiment. RCR, 16 May 2012. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/regimental_history.html>. I used this for information about the regiment, mainly when it was created and where it has served i the past.
The Royal Canadian Regiment. RCR, 4 May 2012. Web. 8 May 2012. <http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/customs_traditions/regimental_prayer.html>.
Archival Reference
Military service files of lieutenant Roger Ouellette (96443) obtained from Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario.
Lieutenant 96443 Royal Canadian Regiment (Fusiliers) R.C.R.
Service Personnel Information
Military Service Record
Regiment:
Medals and Stars earned:
Essay
Every couple of months the government will send out residential bills for things like water and electricity usage. People can get busy enough that they fall behind and feel they are in debt. But the truth is, even when we have paid our bills, and caught up with work, and there is nothing else that we have left to do. We are still grossly indebted to the people that gave us our country and the opportunity to print those bills. War veterans are the only people that truly understand the debt that the rest of us truly are in. People contributed and people died trying to give the next generation a fair chance at raising a family and living in their motherland. People just like us who went to school, and even lived near to you once upon a time. They had to answer the hardest question anyone could ask, are you going to enlist? Roger Ernest Ouellette answered that question with a yes, and he enlisted on May 3, 1941. Ready to serve beside his countrymen in the line of fire.Roger was assigned to the Royal Canadian Fusiliers; they were an infantry regiment created in December of 1883. Since then, the force has seen action in every conflict including Canadian personnel. (Royal Canadian) This is the backbone of our forces, and only the best are deployed in a regiment such as this. When everything else fails, they were the regiment that would succeed. They remained faithful in every situation. Every soldier in the regiment was required to memorize a short prayer of faith and courage, asking for a blessing and hand of protection from god.
Almighty God; we humbly implore thy blessing on The Royal Canadian Regiment and all of us who serve therein. Help us to prove worthy to accept the high ideals and traditions of the past; to honor and revere the memory of those who have gone before us; to face our responsibilities in the future, in both peace and war, with courage, justice, love, honesty, and faithfulness. Remove all greed, hatred, selfishness, and envy from our thoughts that we may render true service to the Regiment and for Thee our God; for our fellow man; and for our country.” (RCR May 4)
Roger climbed the ranks during his years of service becoming a lieutenant. Honored position, and well respected. Although he didn’t govern the troops, he led them into battle. He made the decisions on his feet when they were talking fire, decisions that lose and save lives. Those very decisions earned him 6 medals in total, including the 1939-1945 star, Italy star, France & Germany star, Defence medal, War medal, and a Canadian volunteer service medal. He was distinguished and highly honored, and for every reason. Roger would have been trained to use a 9mm Pistol, 9mm Sten SMG, FN C-2 and FN C-1 rifles, 3.5 Inch Rocket Launcher, 36 Grenades, and the Bayonet. Far from unarmed Roger was well prepared to go in with a fight. (Hickson)Royal Canadian Regiment invaded the city of Apeldoorn on April 16, 1945. They were invading because it was one of the first Allied objectives in the advance to the Northern Sea. They were working for the liberation of the Netherlands and German forces occupied the city of Apeldoorn. The Eastern edge of the city was captured by 4:30 a.m. on the 17th, and by the end of the day the battle for the city was won by Hastings, Prince Edward, West Nova Scotia, and the royal Canadian regiments. From the 11th to the 17th the Canadian division suffered 506 casualties (Apeldoorn) , may they rest in peace. One of those brave men that died in the fight for Apeldoorn was Roger. His hospital reports and doctor reviews stated that he suffered injuries on the 16th, was admitted to the hospital and stayed the night. But by the 17th the wounds that Roger sustained proved to be too much, they took his life.
His mother was notified along with the 506 other next of kin that the military had to notify, with that knock, the door opening and seeing a man you’ve never met before in a military uniform telling you your son honorably. Somewhere face down in the mud and rubble just doesn’t seem honorable to a loving mother. When his mother was notified that her son had been killed in the line of duty. That day the headlines of the newspaper in Winnipeg were that a former University of Manitoba student met his doom due to German Nazi’s as he was arrested and executed (The Manitoban). It was a dark time to be living in Manitoba. People dying and seems like there is no good news to be heard. War is never pretty and always accompanied by death.
Roger served from May 3, 1941, to April 18, 1945 a dedicated 4 years of active service. Only months away from the end of the war, this casualty would have been hard to swallow, not to say that some casualties were easier to understand. When a life is taken, not given it is a painful los for those who were close to that person. Roger Ouellette has been laid to rest in the Netherlands; in a Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery. His tomb reference is IV. E. 11. May he rest in peace, lest we forget his sacrifice.Grave Reference
Works Cited
“Apeldoorn.” Veteran Affairs Canada. N.p., 3 May 2012. Web. 9 May 2012. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/feature/netherlands/history/apeldoorn>.
Hickson, Jim. Royal Canadian Regiment. RCR, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/history/20questions_young_soldier/1961_hickson.html>.
“The Manitoban.” Manitbia. N.p., 18 May 1945. Web. 3 May 2012. <http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/Manitoban/1945/05/1945-05-18.pdf#search=%22April%2018,%201945%22>.
The Royal Canadian Regiment. RCR, 16 May 2012. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/regimental_history.html>. I used this for information about the regiment, mainly when it was created and where it has served i the past.
The Royal Canadian Regiment. RCR, 4 May 2012. Web. 8 May 2012. <http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/customs_traditions/regimental_prayer.html>.Archival Reference
Military service files of lieutenant Roger Ouellette (96443) obtained from Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario.Internet Sites
http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/customs_traditions/regimental_prayer.htmlhttp://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/regimental_history.html
http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/Manitoban/1945/05/1945-05-18.pdf#search=%22April%2018,%201945%22
http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/history/20questions_young_soldier/1961_hickson.html
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/feature/netherlands/history/apeldoorn
For information on the 1939-45 star please visit Veteran Affairs: http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/45star
For information on the Italy star Please visit the veteran affairs website:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/istar
For information on the France-Germany star please visit veteran affairs:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/acesstar
For information on the defence medal please visit veteran affairs:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/dm
For information on the war medal please visit veteran affairs:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/wm45
For information on the Canadian Volunteer service medal please visit veteran affairs:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group04/cvsm
For information on the Regiment that he served in, visit their website:
http://www.theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/rcrindex.html
For more information on where he was buried please visit their website:
http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww2_cemeteries/groesbeek_war_cem.htm